In his letter to clergy, Dr. Martin Luther King uses many of the intellectual concepts that President Thomas Jefferson employed in writing the Declaration of Independence. of the United States of America. While emphasizing Jefferson's more idealistic approach, Dr. King continually references his own religious background in order to establish an emotional and fundamental connection with the clergymen. Although Jefferson took a much less direct approach than Dr. King in incorporating religion into his compositions and doctrines, King's ideas about unity and reason through God closely resemble those of President Abraham Lincoln, most notably in Lincoln's second inaugural address. By harmonizing the approach of the two presidents, Dr. King composed a rather convincing letter from his cell. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Jefferson's Declaration of Independence states that "whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these purposes, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute a new government, laying its foundations on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form as shall seem to them most likely to secure their safety and happiness. [1] As the dawn of the independent United States approached, the inhabitants of the colonies were treated with little respect from their British rulers. This led Jefferson to craft a document in which the rights and security of the people of the new nation were placed firmly at the top of the agenda. While Jefferson asserts that all men are created equal, for King's purposes, Jefferson's idea of ​​voters challenging the government is more central. All men are created equal, but recognizing and understanding differences in order to achieve equality was King's goal. After clergy chastised Dr. King and his supporters for leading "reckless and ill-timed" demonstrations, he responded "that we must push the new administration as much as the outgoing administration before we act." [2] Dr. King believed that Birmingham's old and new administrations had turned their backs on their promises to desegregate some of the city's institutions. When no results materialized, Dr. King, much like Jefferson, took action and fought for the safety and happiness of his people. Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address emphasizes that "the judgments of the Lord are truly true and just"[3]. This reference alludes to Lincoln's idea that God brought misfortune to the United States in the form of the Civil War as punishment for slavery. In Letter from a Birmingham Jail, Dr. King argues that unjust laws must be disobeyed. He also quotes St. Augustine in saying “an unjust law is no law at all.” While it may be simple to directly compare Lincoln's idea of ​​God to that of Dr. King himself, the similarities are obvious. Dr. King organized protests in Birmingham in response to the discourse of racial equality, while God brought about war in response to slavery in the United States. Each of these events, mundane and supernatural, emphasizes Lincoln's ideas that religion is a path to equality. In King's eyes, devotion to God was the key to unity between the races. Lincoln viewed God's actions as consequences of man's atrocities, while King viewed God's actions as rewards for loyalty. Although